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University technical college

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UTC Portsmouth in 2020

A university technical college (UTC) is a type of secondary school in England that is sponsored by a university and has close ties to local business and industry.

University technical colleges specialise in subjects like engineering and construction, taught alongside business skills and the use of IT. Pupils study academic subjects as well as practical subjects leading to technical qualifications. The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience and projects for students.

The university and industry partners support the curriculum development of the UTC, can provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and guide suitably qualified students on to industrial apprenticeships or tertiary education. The UTC's governors include representatives from the sponsor university and partner employers. Students traditionally transfer to a UTC at the age of 14, part-way through their secondary education, though many UTCs now accept pupils at a younger age. The first UTCs were established in 2010, and there were 44 of them in 2023.

Description

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A university technical college is a non-selective free school funded directly by the Department for Education,[1] free to attend, and outside the control of the local education authority.

Students study core academic subjects, as well as practical subjects which lead to technical qualifications.[2] The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience for students.[2]

UTCs were conceived and supported by the Labour government and introduced in 2010 by the coalition government under the free schools programme.[1] UTCs are collectively distinctive in that they offer technically oriented courses of study, combining National Curriculum requirements with technical and vocational elements. UTCs must specialise in subjects that require technical and modern equipment, but they also all teach business skills and the use of information and communications technology (ICT).[3] UTCs are also supposed to offer clear routes into higher education or further learning in work.[4]

When operating, UTCs receive the same per capita funding as other schools in the local authority, calculated by the same formula, and £87 extra to cover UTC-specific administration.[5]

The university technical college programme as a whole is sponsored by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust,[6] which promotes the setting up of UTCs. The trust was co-founded by Kenneth Baker, a Conservative politician and former Secretary of State for Education and Ron Dearing. Each UTC pays an annual licence fee (£10,000 in 2019)[7] to the trust. Baker Dearing's promotion of UTCs is supported by a range of organisations, including the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Peter Cundill Foundation, and the Garfield Weston Foundation.[8] Many large companies have pledged to co-sponsor UTCs including Arup, British Airways, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Sony.[9]

List of UTCs

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Name Location Sponsoring university Opened
Aston University Engineering Academy Birmingham Aston University 2012
BMAT STEM Academy Harlow, Essex Anglia Ruskin University 2014
Aylesbury UTC Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire New University 2013
Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology Cambridge Cambridge University Health Partners 2014
Crewe Engineering and Design UTC Crewe, Cheshire Manchester Metropolitan University 2016
UTC Derby Pride Park Derby University of Derby 2015
Doncaster UTC Doncaster University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University 2020
Elstree Screen Arts Academy Borehamwood, Hertfordshire University of Hertfordshire 2013
Brook Sixth Form and Academy Dagenham, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham University College London 2014
Energy Coast UTC Workington, Cumbria University of Cumbria 2014
Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire University of Hull 2015
Global Academy Hayes, London Borough of Hillingdon University of the Arts London 2016
Greater Peterborough UTC Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Anglia Ruskin University 2016
UTC Heathrow Northwood, London Borough of Hillingdon Brunel University London 2014 (as Heathrow Aviation Engineering UTC)[10]
JCB Academy Rocester, Staffordshire Harper Adams University 2010
The Leigh UTC Dartford, Kent University of Greenwich 2014
Lincoln UTC Lincoln University of Lincoln 2014
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC Liverpool University of Liverpool 2013
London Design and Engineering UTC Royal Docks, London Borough of Newham University of East London 2016[11]
Mulberry UTC Bow, London Borough of Tower Hamlets Goldsmiths, University of London 2017
North East Futures UTC Newcastle upon Tyne University of Sunderland 2018[12]
Ron Dearing UTC Hull University of Hull 2017
Scarborough UTC Scarborough, North Yorkshire University of Hull 2016
SGS Berkeley Green UTC Berkeley, South Gloucestershire University of Gloucestershire 2017[13]
Silverstone UTC Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire University of Northampton 2013
South Devon UTC Newton Abbot, Devon University of Plymouth 2015
South Wiltshire UTC Salisbury, Wiltshire University of Southampton 2015[14]
Thomas Telford UTC Wolverhampton University of Wolverhampton 2015 (as West Midlands Construction UTC)
University Collegiate School Bolton, Greater Manchester University of Bolton 2015
University Technical College Norfolk Norwich University of East Anglia 2014
UTC Leeds Hunslet, Leeds University of Leeds 2016
UTC Oxfordshire Didcot, Oxfordshire University of Reading 2015[15]
UTC Plymouth Plymouth, Devon University of Plymouth 2013
UTC Portsmouth Portsmouth University of Portsmouth 2017[16][17]
UTC Reading Reading, Berkshire University of Reading 2013
UTC Sheffield City Centre Sheffield, South Yorkshire Sheffield Hallam University 2013
UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Sheffield, South Yorkshire Sheffield Hallam University 2016
UTC South Durham Newton Aycliffe, County Durham University of Sunderland 2016[18]
UTC Swindon Swindon Oxford Brookes University 2014
UTC Warrington Warrington, Cheshire University of Chester 2016[19]
UTC@MediaCityUK Salford, Greater Manchester University of Salford 2015[20]
Waterfront UTC Chatham, Kent University of Greenwich 2015 (as Medway UTC)[21]
WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Coventry Coventry University of Warwick 2014
WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Solihull Solihull University of Warwick 2016

Planned UTCs

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It was announced in August 2023 that two more UTCs would be established, in Doncaster and Southampton.[22] In a review of the free school programmes in 2025 by the Department for Education, the Southampton UTC was listed as "minded to cancel", while the Doncaster UTC was listed as "continue in pre-opening".[23][24]

Closed UTCs

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Name Location Sponsoring university Opened Closed
Black Country UTC Walsall, West Midlands University of Wolverhampton 2011 2015[25]
UTC Central Bedfordshire Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire Cranfield University 2012 2016[26]
Daventry University Technical College Daventry, Northamptonshire University of Northampton 2013 2017[27]
Greater Manchester University Technical College Oldham, Greater Manchester University of Bolton 2014 2017[28]
Hackney University Technical College London Borough of Hackney University of East London 2012 2015[29]
UTC@Harbourside Newhaven, East Sussex University of Brighton 2015[30] 2019[31]
UTC Lancashire Burnley, Lancashire University of Central Lancashire 2013 2017[29]
Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC City of Westminster, London University of Westminster 2017 2022
South Wiltshire UTC Salisbury University of Southampton 2015 2020[32]
Watford UTC Watford, Hertfordshire University of Hertfordshire 2014 2023[33]
University Technical College Wigan Wigan, Greater Manchester University of Central Lancashire 2013 2019[34][35]

Converted away from traditional UTC model

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Name Location Sponsoring university Opened Converted New status
Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy Stoke Gifford, South Gloucestershire University of the West of England 2013 2022 UTC Sleeve[36]
Royal Greenwich UTC Royal Borough of Greenwich University of Greenwich 2013 2016[37] 11–19 free school
South Bank Engineering UTC London Borough of Lambeth London South Bank University 2016 2023 16-19 Academy
Tottenham University Technical College London Borough of Haringey Middlesex University 2014 2017[38] 16-19 free school[39]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Thesaurus Term - University technical colleges". Department for Education. January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Plans for specialist school UTC Reading unveiled". BBC News. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "What are university technical colleges". Utcolleges.org. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "BBC News - Q&A: University technical colleges". BBC News. 7 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "University technical colleges how to apply" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "University Technical Colleges" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  7. ↑ Camden, Billy (16 August 2019). "Licence fees to almost double for cash-strapped UTCs". Schools Week. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "Sponsors". www.utcolleges.org. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  9. ↑ Burns, Judith (29 May 2012). "Jaguar Land Rover and British Airways back new colleges". BBC News. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  10. ↑ McInerney, Laura (30 September 2016). "Heathrow UTC hit with financial notice to improve after 'loss of control'". Schools Week. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "London Design and Engineering UTC | London Design and Engineering University Technical College". Ldeutc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  12. ↑ Ford, Coreena (27 September 2017). "City centre Newcastle school invites in parents as it prepares for 2018 opening". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  13. ↑ "College opens at former power station in Gloucestershire". BBC News. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Work begins on South Wiltshire UTC college". BBC News. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "University Technical College Oxfordshire plans approved". BBC News. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Views wanted on bid to set up new technical school". Portsmouth News. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "UTC Portsmouth breaks ground and announces Principal". Portsmouth City Council. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  18. ↑ Richardson, Andy (31 October 2014). "Train factory is the catalyst for jobs revival (From The Northern Echo)". Thenorthernecho.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  19. ↑ Place North West http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/18167-warrington-utc-set-to-go-on-site.html
  20. ↑ "MediaCityUK UTC". The Aldridge Foundation. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "University Technical College". Medway Council. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "Pupils in disadvantaged areas to benefit from new free schools". GOV.UK. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  23. ↑ Roberts, John (12 December 2025). "Eton-backed free schools among projects spared in DfE review". TES. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  24. ↑ Samantha Booth (11 December 2025). "'Nightmare before Christmas': 46 free school projects scrapped and 59 special schools in limbo". Schools Week.
  25. ↑ "Doomed Black Country UTC failed to promote vocational options, inspectors find". FE Week. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  26. ↑ Whittaker, Freddie (10 March 2016). "Struggling Central Bedfordshire UTC to close despite FE college's intervention". FE Week.
  27. ↑ "Daventry UTC To Close In 2017". www.daventryutc.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  28. ↑ "Brand new £9m school to close after all of its pupils fail GCSEs". The Independent. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  29. 1 2 "UTC Lancashire to shut up shop after just three years". FE Week. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  30. ↑ "Utc@Harbourside Principal Appointed". Haven News. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  31. ↑ "University Technical College in Newhaven to close next year". BBC News. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  32. ↑ "Salisbury UTC to Close". South Wilts UTC. 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019.
  33. ↑ Flanagan, Chris (3 February 2023). "Watford technical college to close this summer". Watford Observer. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "Wigan UTC will close as low student numbers are unviable". Wigan Today. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  35. ↑ Adams, Richard (13 July 2019). "'Vanity project': debts pile up for English free schools scheme". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  36. ↑ "Bristol MP and major local employers visit Stoke Gifford school's Engineering Centre to see how it champions technical education". 7 July 2023.
  37. ↑ Camden, Billy (7 October 2016). "Fresh concerns over failing UTC model as one in 10 now shut". FE Week. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  38. ↑ Mansell, Warwick (10 January 2017). "Failing Spurs-sponsored school costs taxpayer £500,000 rent a year | Warwick Mansell". The Guardian.
  39. ↑ "London Academy of Excellence Tottenham". GOV.UK.
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